Discussion of the Special Rapporteur on Belarus Report at the Human Rights Council

UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Belarus, Anais Marin, presented a report on the situation in the Republic. This was Marin's final report in her role as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus. The Human Rights Council is currently determining a candidate who will take on the mandate starting this autumn.

In her report, Anais Marin noted that citizens and civil society are facing increased repression, arbitrary detentions, cruel treatment, and oppression.

“Repression in Belarus has reached such a scale and intensity that it should not be considered a safe country for anyone who ever showed disagreement with the government or its policies. I therefore reiterate my call to refrain from extraditions and expulsions to Belarus,” Marin stated. Regarding individuals in prisons, the expert noted more than a dozen registered cases of deaths in custody since 2020, which were "most likely due to a lack of adequate and timely medical care." She also added that several detainees have been held incommunicado for over a year, with their families unaware of their well-being. Among them is the political prisoner and attorney, Maxim Znak.

Following the presentation of the report, Lithuania's Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, supported its conclusions. "We must hold the Belarusian authorities accountable for human rights violations, as well as for complicity in Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine. Impunity only encourages them to commit more crimes. We must actively counter the disinformation spread by the authorities and state media".

The report was also supported by representatives of the European Union, Austria, Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Spain, Canada, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the United States, Ukraine, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Human Rights Foundation, War Resisters' International, International Bar Association, Lawyers for Human Rights, Center for Global Nonkilling, Civicus, Conscience and Peace Tax International, The International Commission of Jurists, International Federation for Human Rights, and Human Rights Watch.

Notably, in previous sessions, representatives from three blocks were present: countries supporting the Belarusian authorities, those condemning them, and those who chose a neutral stance. For instance, at the discussion of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on March 20, 2024, during the 36th meeting of the 55th regular session of the Human Rights Council, countries such as Russia, Zimbabwe, Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, Syria, China, Niger, Nicaragua, Eritrea, Egypt, and Iran defended Belarus, actively insisting on the unreliability of the information in the report and the unacceptability of interference in Belarus’s internal affairs. No such statements were observed during the discussion of the Special Rapporteur’s report.